An affordable 3D printer that can be used at home is one step closer to reality thanks to Markus Hatzenbichler and Klaus Stadlmann from the Vienna University of Technology’s Institute of Materials Science and Technology. The pair have created a prototype for the world’s smallest 3D printer. 3D printing is a form of additive manufacturing technology that works by laying down additional layers of material to produce an object.

Printing occurs in a small tub filled with a synthetic resin that hardens when it is exposed to intense beams of light. How these beams of light are exposed to the resin is controlled by the printer hardware and as each layer hardens the next layer can be attached to it.

Now people shouldn’t assume that a 3D printer is the answer for making bulk items since the cost of doing so would be high compared to more traditional methods. Where 3D printers do have the advantage is in making custom individual items such as spare parts.

The new prototype 3D printer, which is no bigger than the size of a milk carton, can make objects with a great deal of precision thanks to the printer’s high resolution. This is attributed to the light emitting diodes (LEDs) used by the printer which are a twentieth of a millimeter thick.

The new 3D printer is considered a steal at 1,200 Euros which is about $1,700. Stadlmann believes that their printer can be made even smaller and if produced in large quantities the price of it will decrease.